Partial Map of the Purifying Demonic Lotus Flame

"Mm, you're back. You came again?" Lu Yunxiao raised his gaze slightly and asked the woman before him calmly.

She was quite a pretty woman, dressed in a tight-fitting red gown that accentuated her curvaceous figure. Though she was far inferior to Yun Yun's peerless elegance, she possessed a seductive charm of her own.

"Mm, I came again. I wanted to see whether Master Bing needed any help."

The woman in red spoke with a smile, appearing calm and gentle.

"Then keep helping. I just got back from outside and I'm covered in dust. I need to clean up, so I won't keep you company for small talk."

Lu Yunxiao nodded and spoke softly.

"Then hurry along, little brother Yunxiao." The woman in red smiled, her large, watery eyes fixed directly on Lu Yunxiao. Deep within them was a faint trace of admiration.

He was graceful and carefree in bearing, gentle and courteous to others, and extraordinarily talented. On top of that, he was Master Bing's junior. A Lu Yunxiao like this truly drew her attention.

Hearing this, Lu Yunxiao nodded slightly, glanced at Hai Bodong, who was drawing maps, and headed toward the inner room.

After spending two whole months in the desert, the hardest thing for him to endure had been having no water for bathing. Washing himself with sand every day had been an indescribable feeling. Now that he was back, he needed to scrub himself clean inside and out.

Entering the inner room and arriving at the bathroom, Lu Yunxiao washed up before filling a large tub with water and soaking in it contentedly.

"Ah, this feels great. A bath really is much more comfortable." Lu Yunxiao stretched lazily, his face full of enjoyment.

"Host, speaking of which, your luck with women truly isn't bad." Just as Lu Yunxiao stretched, the system's voice rang out in his mind.

"You mean the one outside?" Lu Yunxiao narrowed his eyes and replied evenly.

"Host, you noticed?" The system sounded somewhat surprised.

"I'm not stupid. It's not like I can't see that kind of look. But she's not my type. I prefer someone like Yun Yun."

Lu Yunxiao stirred the water's surface and spoke casually.

"Why not just say you like pretty women?" the system said disdainfully.

"If I don't like pretty women, am I supposed to like ugly ones?"

Lu Yunxiao rolled his eyes and replied irritably.

"That's true!" the system said in all seriousness.

Lu Yunxiao curled his lips and continued, "Besides, that woman is more interested in the old man. You know she wants to take him as her master. Her liking for me is only because she thinks I'm handsome and talented, and because I'm the old man's junior. When it comes down to it, it's very shallow."

"Furthermore, don't be fooled by how obedient she looks now. In Mo City, she's a famous little devil. She's well known for being willful and overbearing. How could I possibly like a woman like that? I like beautiful women, but I also value character and temperament."

"What the Host says makes sense." The system responded, seemingly quite in agreement with Lu Yunxiao.

Lu Yunxiao twisted his neck and said, "Alright, enough about her. Let's talk business. I've already experienced the system's achievement function, but what about the check-in function? It's been so long, yet there hasn't been a single Check-in Mission. How do you explain that?"

"That's because the Host never triggered one before," the system replied calmly.

"I never triggered one before? You mean I've triggered one now?" Lu Yunxiao caught the hidden meaning in the system's words.

"Yes. Since the Host has decided to go to Jia Nan Academy, a Check-in Mission has been triggered."

"Ding! Check-in Mission issued. Check-in location: Jia Nan Academy. Time limit: within three months. Check-in reward: unknown."

The system's mission announcement rang out directly.

"Finally, a mission has been issued." Lu Yunxiao sighed softly, and a faint smile rose at the corner of his mouth. Having missions was a good thing. Completing them could help him grow faster.

"By the way, System, can you reveal what kind of reward it'll be?" Lu Yunxiao's eyes shifted as he asked with a smile.

"According to the rules, that cannot be disclosed. The Host will naturally learn of it after completing the mission. However, it will certainly be useful to the Host. As a system, I cannot favor the Host by issuing extra rewards or anything of that sort, but within the limits of the rules, I can choose rewards more suitable for the Host and ensure that every reward is as helpful as possible."

The system spoke warmly.

"That couldn't be better. Thanks, System!" Lu Yunxiao said with a smile.

"No need. It is merely mutual benefit. The system and the Host are already tied to the same boat. The stronger the Host becomes, the greater the chance of attaining the Dao and transcending in the future, and the greater the chance that this system can break its limitations. This system is also thinking of itself."

The system replied evenly.

Lu Yunxiao shrugged and said with a smile, "Attaining the Dao and transcending... I believe that day will come sooner or later."

"Hopefully," the system said before gradually falling silent.

After finishing his bath, Lu Yunxiao changed into a clean robe and slowly walked out.

It was a pale green robe. Other than white robes, green robes were also one of Lu Yunxiao's preferred styles.

With his long hair draped over his shoulders and his Starry Eyes shifting, Lu Yunxiao, who already seemed detached from the mundane world, gained an added air of refined elegance in this green robe.

Lu Yunxiao walked into the Ancient Map Shop.

The shop was rather quiet at the moment. The woman in red had left at some point, leaving only Hai Bodong, who was still carefully drawing maps.

"She left?" Lu Yunxiao swept his gaze around and asked casually.

"She left. It seemed like she had something urgent to handle." Hai Bodong did not raise his head, his tone calm.

"Oh." Lu Yunxiao nodded slightly, walked to the shelf, picked up a map, and said offhandedly as he looked at it, "When I came back today, I saw that Jia Nan Academy's recruitment seemed to have begun."

"You want to go?" Hai Bodong's brush paused as he asked evenly.

"Mm, I want to take a look." Lu Yunxiao nodded and answered firmly.

"Then go. You needn't worry about me. I'll be fine on my own." Hai Bodong froze for a moment before speaking softly.

"Alright." Lu Yunxiao responded, glanced around casually, then took out the small half of a Partial Map hidden inside one of the maps.

He had actually noticed this thing long ago, but he had never had the time. Today, it happened to come to mind.

"Old man, can you give me this half of the Partial Map?" Lu Yunxiao waved the small half-map in his hand and asked.

"What do you want that for?" Hai Bodong asked somewhat doubtfully. Though he too believed this Partial Map was extraordinary, he had exhausted every method and still failed to comprehend its mysteries.

Therefore, he had given up over the years. Yet Lu Yunxiao's words today had stirred his curiosity once more.